diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 7a69266d..ae788bce 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ const char *
 get_cluster_size(PGconn *conn)
 {
 	PGresult	*res;
-	const char	*size;
+	const char	*size = NULL;
 	char		 sqlquery[QUERY_STR_LEN];
 
 	sqlquery_snprintf(
@@ -293,11 +293,12 @@ get_cluster_size(PGconn *conn)
 	{
 		log_err(_("Get cluster size PQexec failed: %s"),
 		        PQerrorMessage(conn));
-		PQclear(res);
-		PQfinish(conn);
-		exit(ERR_DB_QUERY);
 	}
-	size = PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0);
+	else
+	{
+		size = PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0);
+	}
+
 	PQclear(res);
 	return size;
 }
diff --git a/repmgr.c b/repmgr.c
index 68cb6d32..3ce25c0e 100644
--- a/repmgr.c
+++ b/repmgr.c
@@ -779,6 +779,7 @@ do_standby_clone(void)
 	PGconn		*conn;
 	PGresult	*res;
 	char		sqlquery[QUERY_STR_LEN], *ret;
+	const char *cluster_size;
 
 	int			r = 0, retval = SUCCESS;
 	int			i, is_standby_retval;
@@ -980,7 +981,10 @@ do_standby_clone(void)
 	}
 	PQclear(res);
 
-	log_info(_("Successfully connected to primary. Current installation size is %s\n"), get_cluster_size(conn));
+	cluster_size = get_cluster_size(conn);
+	if (cluster_size == NULL)
+		exit(ERR_DB_QUERY);
+	log_info(_("Successfully connected to primary. Current installation size is %s\n"), cluster_size);
 
 	/*
 	 * XXX  master_xlog_directory should be discovered from master configuration